Grace Thompson
Becoming a Catholic friar is no easy task. It requires a deep understanding of one's self and a strong relationship with God. Candidates must be between 18 and 40 years old, in good physical and mental health, and have a mature and realistic understanding of the world, the Church, and Franciscan life. They must also be free of debt and be willing to take vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity. The journey to becoming a friar begins with a visit to a monastery and a meeting with a vocations director, followed by a year of initial training and an exploration of one's calling. This is a challenging but meaningful path that requires dedication and a strong spiritual foundation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Age | 18-40 years old |
| Citizenship | United States citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States |
| Health | Good physical and mental health |
| Education | High school graduate |
| Religion | Catholic, a practicing Roman Catholic for at least 2 years |
| Faith | Personal faith in God and a call to serve in His Catholic Church |
| Spirituality | Healthy, balanced spiritual life |
| Understanding | Mature and realistic understanding of the world, the Church, and Franciscan life |
| Service | Involved in service work to the local Church or community, ideally with the poor and marginalized |
| Debt | Free of debt and the responsibility of supporting others |
| Vocation | Desire to live the Franciscan religious life |
| Capacity | Capacity for ongoing conversion and productive service within religious life |
| Integrity | Personal integrity necessary to live out the Gospel values |
| Morality | Christian moral values rooted in his character |
| Motivation | Seriously motivated to become part of the Order |
| Vow | Make a public commitment to live according to the rule of St Francis, making vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity |
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What You'll Learn
- Requirements: Age 18-40, Catholic, male, debt-free, physically and mentally healthy
- Application: Contact a Vocation Director, attend a discernment weekend, apply for a formation program
- Formation: Initial training, postulancy, and learning fraternity life
- Vows: After a year, novices take simple vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity
- Life as a Friar: Theological studies, permanent vows, and continued residence in convents
Requirements: Age 18-40, Catholic, male, debt-free, physically and mentally healthy
If you are a male between the ages of 18 and 40, a Catholic, debt-free, and in good physical and mental health, you may be eligible to become a Franciscan friar.
Franciscan life is deeply meaningful but challenging. The admission process will help the Vocation Team assess if God is truly calling you to join their community after the example of St. Francis of Assisi. The process involves an initial period of discernment, where you will be guided by vocational supervisors to determine if you are seriously motivated to become a Franciscan friar.
To be eligible, you must have a personal faith in God and a call to serve in His Catholic Church. This means having a regular practice of the Catholic faith and a relationship with God characterized by stability, growth, and maturity. You should also have a reasonably developed understanding of Christian doctrine and morality and an awareness of the life and mission of the Church today.
Additionally, you must be financially independent and free of the responsibility of supporting others. This is because the Franciscan friars take a vow of poverty, and bringing financial obligations or debts into religious formation is not possible.
If you meet these requirements, you can contact the Franciscan friars to arrange a visit to the Monastery and a meeting with their vocations director. After this initial period of discernment, you will enter the yearlong postulancy program, where you will learn about fraternity life while still remaining a layperson.
During this time, you will be expected to take a simple religious vow, making a public commitment to live according to the rule of St. Francis, including vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity. After postulancy, you will spend a year as a novice, also known as the "a-year-and-a-day" experience, where you will deepen your understanding of your vocation.
At the end of these three years, professed friars begin their theological studies. Four years of temporary profession ends with making the solemn profession, becoming permanent members of the Order.
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Application: Contact a Vocation Director, attend a discernment weekend, apply for a formation program
To become a Catholic friar, you must first ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria. Typically, candidates are required to be male, between the ages of 18 and 40, Catholic, and in good physical and mental health. Additionally, it is essential to have a strong desire to serve, learn, sacrifice, and share a common life.
Once you have confirmed your eligibility, you can initiate the process by contacting a Vocation Director in your area. This step allows you to seek guidance and clarify any questions you may have about becoming a Franciscan friar. The Vocation Director will provide support and help you assess if pursuing this path aligns with your life's calling.
After initial contact, you may be invited to attend a discernment weekend. This provides an opportunity to delve deeper into your calling and engage in meaningful discussions with the vocation team. It serves as a period of reflection and guidance as you navigate your spiritual journey.
If you decide to proceed, the next step is to apply for a formation program. The application process involves submitting relevant documentation and undergoing assessments to determine your suitability for the program. This stage aims to evaluate your commitment, spiritual maturity, and understanding of the Franciscan life. It is a collaborative process between you and the vocation team, allowing both parties to discern together.
During the formation program, you will be immersed in the Franciscan way of life. This includes engaging in common prayer, participating in in-house classes, contributing to outreach ministries, and regularly taking part in Franciscan events. The program offers a unique opportunity to integrate human, spiritual, and educational aspects, helping you understand your unique life calling within the fraternity.
By following these steps and successfully completing the formation program, you will be well on your way to becoming a Catholic friar, serving God and the Franciscan community with dedication and humility.
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Formation: Initial training, postulancy, and learning fraternity life
To become a Catholic friar, one must go through a rigorous formation process that involves initial training, postulancy, and learning fraternity life. This formation journey is designed to help candidates discern their calling, deepen their relationship with God and the Franciscan community, and prepare them for the challenges and rewards of Franciscan life.
Initial training marks the beginning of a candidate's journey into the Franciscan Order. This stage involves an in-depth period of discernment where candidates work closely with vocational supervisors to explore their motivation and suitability for the Franciscan life. It is a time for candidates to reflect on their calling, ensure they are rooted in their faith, and develop a mature and realistic understanding of the world, the Church, and Franciscan life. This initial training period also serves as a foundation for the spiritual, human, and educational dimensions of Franciscan formation.
Postulancy is the next critical phase in the formation process. It is a yearlong program that offers candidates the opportunity to immerse themselves in the rhythm and fraternity life of the Franciscans without requiring them to take vows. During postulancy, candidates remain laypersons but are initiated into the unique brotherhood and community of the Franciscan Order. They reside in postulancy houses, often alongside others from diverse backgrounds, fostering a sense of unity and camaraderie. This period is dedicated to study, prayer, communal life, and participation in the life of the Custody, helping postulants understand and embrace St. Francis' ideal way of life.
Learning fraternity life is an integral aspect of formation, where candidates deepen their understanding of Franciscan fraternity and their role within it. It involves embracing the spirit of brotherhood exemplified by St. Francis of Assisi, who focused on humility and equality. Candidates are expected to develop their unique life callings within the fraternity, striving for holiness, fraternity, and dedication to their ministry within the Church. This stage of formation aims to shape candidates into contributing members of the fraternity, united by their shared life and values, and committed to serving God and others.
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Vows: After a year, novices take simple vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity
After a year of initial training, during which a candidate enters the Franciscan Order and undergoes an initial period of discernment for his calling, he becomes a novice. With the approval of their trainers, the novices then take a simple religious vow – a public commitment to live according to the rule of St Francis, making vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity. This commitment is repeated for four separate years.
The vow of obedience is a commitment to follow the teachings of the Catholic Church and to live in accordance with the Gospel values. The vow of poverty means that candidates must be free of debt and not have any business obligations or family duties that require financial support. The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America states that there are organisations and benefactors who can assist with paying off debts so that people may enter religious formation. The vow of chastity is a commitment to remain celibate and to live a life of service to God and the Church.
After the simple vow, the professed friars live in the Convent of St Saviour in Jerusalem during their second training period. They attend an international seminary together with brethren from their provinces and participate in a two-year period of philosophy studies and one year of language specialisation. They also take part in the life project of the St. Saviour community, offering their services for the celebration of the liturgy in the Basilica of the Resurrection and participating in cultural initiatives.
At the end of these four years of temporary profession, the novices make their solemn profession – their final vows – which make them permanent members of the Order, with full rights and duties in the Custody.
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Life as a Friar: Theological studies, permanent vows, and continued residence in convents
Life as a friar involves a deep commitment to God and to the Franciscan way of life. After an initial period of discernment, during which a candidate assesses their calling and motivation to join the Franciscan Order, they enter the year-long postulancy program. This is a time for direct learning about fraternity life, where postulants are immersed in a brotherhood of unity and community, characteristic of the Franciscan spirit.
Following postulancy, the candidate spends a year as a novice, during which they take a simple religious vow, committing to live according to the rule of St. Francis, and vowing obedience, poverty, and chastity. This commitment is repeated for four years of temporary profession, after which the novices make their solemn profession, becoming permanent members of the Order.
Theological studies form an important part of a friar's life. After the initial three years, professed friars begin their theological studies, which include a two-year period of philosophy and one year of language specialisation. These studies are undertaken while residing in one of the convents in Jerusalem or the neighbouring areas, where friars continue to deepen their relationship with Christ and explore their vocation.
Friars are dedicated to living a life of service, rooted in their faith and love for God and following the example of St. Francis of Assisi. They are called to be brothers to one another, living in community and unity, and serving those in need, especially the poor and marginalized.
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Frequently asked questions
The requirements to become a Catholic friar include being male, Catholic, between the ages of 18 and 40, in good physical and mental health, and having completed high school. Candidates should also be of good character, have a personal relationship with God, and be involved in service work within their community.
The process for becoming a Catholic friar typically involves an initial period of discernment, followed by a year of postulancy, where candidates learn about fraternity life. After postulancy, candidates spend a year as novices, during which they take simple religious vows and begin their training. After three years, novices begin their theological studies, and at the end of four years of temporary profession, they make their solemn profession, becoming permanent members of the Order.
Candidates for religious life as a Catholic friar should be free of debt and financial obligations, as they take a vow of poverty. However, there are organizations and benefactors that can assist with paying off debts to allow individuals to enter religious formation.
Some friars are called to the ordained ministry of priesthood and use the title "Father," while others who are not called to ordained ministry use the title "Brother." St. Francis of Assisi, who was not a priest, focused on "the brotherhood," and modern-day friars continue to wear simple habits as a sign of their humility and friendship in Christ.
Catholic friars are dedicated to living a religious life rooted in the teachings of the Catholic Church and the example of St. Francis of Assisi. They strive for holiness, fraternity, and dedication to their ministry, which may include service to the poor and marginalized, prayer, communal life, and participation in cultural initiatives.
